Means for operating railway-switches.



' PATBNTED OUT. 13,1903.

J. 0. DIMMIGK. MEANS FOR OPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

moi-741318.

PATENT-ED OUT-13, 190s.

J. 0. DIMMIGK. MEANS FOROPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903.

2 SHEEN-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

wkfiesses Y said tongue to any required position.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH o.

- ADOLPH JOHN JARMUTH,

i 'atented October 13, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC 013 DENVER, COLORADO.

MEANS FOR OPERATING RAILWAY-SWITCHES;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,118, dated October 13,1963.

Application filed' January 21, 1903. $erial No. 139,955. (No morleh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosEPH O. DIMMIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Means for Operating Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My device operates on the principle of an electromagnet,the poles of which being moved over and across the pivoted tongue of a railway-switch will by magnetic attraction'draw Although my device may be used on any railway-vehicle, it is more especially designed for use on electrically-propelled cars, where the electric current required to energizethe magnet can be obtained by connection with the current used to propel the car. 7

When my device is used on cars not propelled by electricity, an independent source of electricity can be provided for energizing the magnet.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a suitable mechanism which, applied to a car, may be operated by the motorneer or engineer for the purpose of reversing the tongue of a switch without having to stop the car, which invariably means loss of time and wear of machinery; second, to provide means for operating railway-switches which being in no way connected with the switch cannot become inoperative on account of freezing, snow, or accumulation of dirt, which, as experience has taught, are the principal objec-. tions to switch-operating devices located above or under ground in connection with the switch. I attain these objects by the mechanism described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a front View of a car with my device in operative position over a railway-switch. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along a line marked 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged verticalsection ot my'device detached from the car. Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4, Fig.- 3, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the circuit-breaking mechanism of my device. Fig. 6 is an enlargcd plan view of a part of the dashboard of the car, showing operating lever or handle and the means for locking the same. Fig. 7,

a front view of the same; Fig. 8, an underneath perspective View of the casing designed 5 5 to cover the device.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the raised position of the poles is shown in broken lines.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the diiferent views. Let 5 designate a coil such as ordinarily used in electromagnets and composed of a spool 5 and the wound "wire 5 A soft-iron shaft 6 passes through said spool and is sup ported in two journals 7and 7, made of nonconducting material and located on each side of'the'coil 5. Boxes 7 and 7 are secured inside of rectangular frames 9 and 9, which are adjustably connected to hangers 10 and 10*, which, by means of straps 11, are connected to each other. The straps 11, extending beyond the hanger 10, are designed to secure the device to any suitable portion of the car, while braces 12, Fig. 2, may be employed to still further insure the rigidity of the de- 7 vice. Hangers 10 and 10 are provided with slots 13, through which pass bolts 14:, which secure the frames 9 and 9 to the'hangers. By loosening the bolts the position of the frames inside the hangers may be adjusted to suit circumstances. Located between the faces of the spool 5 and the boxes 7 and 7 are collars 15 and 15*,which are placed around shaft 6 and secured thereto by means of setscrews 16.

' 17 and 17 are the poles of the magnet, which are designed to be moved over and across the switch-tongue and which are secured to the collars 15 and 15. The lower extremities 17 and 17 are spherically shaped, so as to form a universal joint with the movable end pieces 18 and 18 which are placed around the spherical extremities of the poles 17 and 17*. Parts 18 and 18 are composed of two identical halves, which after having 5 been placed in position around the extremities of the arms 17 and 17 are riveted together.

The objects of the movable end pieces 18 and 18 are to prevent the breaking off of the poles by their coming in contact with rocks or other obstructions which may be on connected to the upper part of the rectangu-- lar frames 9 and 9 by means of hangers 19 and 20, one of which, 19, is made of non-conducting material, while the other one, 20, is made of soft iron and being in contact with shaft 6 acts as a so-called blow-out magnet, as will be explained farther on.

Shaft 6 is provided at one of its extremities with a beveled gear-wheel 21, made of nonconducting material,into which meshes a second gear-wheel 22,placed at right angles to the first one, and the shaft 23 of which extends upward through the floor of the front platform of the car and which is provided with a handle or crank 24, located within easy reach of the operator. At a point in between the gear-wheel 21 and the box 7 shaft 6 is provided with a sleeve 25, which being secured to the shaft by means of a set-screw 25 moves with the shaft when same is being rotated. Sleeve 25 is provided with a crankarm 25, to which is fastened a leaf-spring 26 by means of bolts or screws 27. The upper extremity of spring 26 is provided with roller 29 for the purpose of lessening the friction between the end of the spring and the parts with which it comes in contact, the axis of said roller being parallel to said spring. To limit and adjust the movement of the spring in both directions, the crank-arm is provided with two bolts 50 and 50, the former of which engages the surface of the spring opposite the crank 25, so as to limit the inward movement of the spring,while the other passes through a slot 25 in the crank-arm and is tapped into said arm from the opposite side, the head of the bolt acting as a stop to limit the outward movement of the spring.

At a point opposite the upper extremity of the spring 26 and located so that the roller 29 will engage it when the shaft 6 is being rotated is a piece of carbon 30, which is shaped in the form of an are described with a radius equal to the distance between. the center of the shaft 6 and upper extremity of the spring 26, so that the roller 29 may engage said carbon along its entire length when rotating with the shaft. The width of the carbon piece is such that the entire surface of roller 29 will be in contact when traveling along its face, and its length is determined by the length of time it is desired to energize the magnet.

The carbon 30 is fastened to the upper portion of the frame 9 by means of a rectangular bracket 31. A strip 32, made of fiber or other non-conducting material, is placed between the carbon and bracket for insulating purposes.

Located in between the bracket 31 and the upper portion of the frame 9, to which it is secured, is the soft-iron hanger 20, mentioned heretofore, which extends the full width of the frame 9. Hanger 20 is provided at its extremity with two pointed projections 20,

Which are bent at right angles to the plane of the hanger and which are located near to and a trifle below the ends of the carbon piece 30. The bracket 31 and the soft-iron piece 20 are fastened to theframe 9 by means of suitable bolts or screws 33, which pass through both bracket and hanger as well as the upper part of the frame. Strips 34: and 35, made of nonconducting material, are placed between the frame 9 and hanger 20 and between the hanger 20 and the bracket 31 to insulate these parts from each other, and the bolt-holes in the hanger 20 have been made sufficiently large and hushed with insulating material to pre- Vent the hanger coming in contact with the bolts 33.

The electric current is conducted to the coil 5 from the main wire used for operating the car or from any other source of electricity by means of a wire 36. The other end of the wound wire of the coil is connected with the carbon piece bya wire 37-. A second wire 37, leading from the opposite pole of elec-.

tricity of the car-circuit, connects with the spring 26 at any suitable point, which arrangement allows the circuit to be completed only when the spring 26 is in contact with the carbon piece 30, which together form the switch of the device. A resistance-coil 38 may be placed at any point on wire 36 to limit the amount of electricity conducted from the source of electricity to the electromagnet. In cases where one of the rails acts as a conductor of electricity wire 37 may be fastened to any portion of the iron-work of the car, or it may be dispensed with entirely by connecting one of the hangers with the iron-work of the car.

It will be observed that the spring 26 is fastened directly to the crank-arm 25 and is not insulated therefrom. This is done for the purpose of allowing the current to be completed to the rail, which in this case is the other polarity of circuit.

In order to prevent the movement of the shafts 23 and 6 by jarring, gravity of the polepieces, or any other causes, it is essential that the crank 24: may be locked when the poles are elevated and the handle is in the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7. For this purpose I make use of the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which 38 indicates the dashboard of a car, and 39 an iron strap fastened to the railing of the dashboard and which supports the upper end of the shaft 23. The crank 24 is provided on its under side with a rounded projection 24, designed to fit into similarlyshaped recesses 40 in springs 40, which are secured to the iron support 39 at points where it is desired to secure the crank. These springs 40, which are shaped in the form of an are, are secured at one of their ends to support 39, the other end being free to move along the surface of the support when the spring is depressed by coming in contact with the under surface of crank 24:. The height of the spring being a'trifie greater than the distance between the under surface of the crank and the upper surface of support 39, the spring will have a tendency to keep the projection 24; seated in the recesses 40 when the crank occupies the position immediately over the springs, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. It is my intention to inclose my entire device by means of a suitably-shapedsheetmetal casing 51, a perspective view of which is shown in Fig. 8. For the sake of clearness the casing has been omitted in the various views; but its position is indicated in Fig. 2 in broken lines. Casing 51 is shaped so as to inclose the entire mechanism and is secured to the hangers 10 and IO by allowing the bolts 14 to pass through slots 51 in the sides of the casing. The poles of the magnet protrude through slots 51 in the under side of the casing, the slots being made of sufficient size to allow the free movement of the poles when the shaft is being rotated. The object of the casing is to prevent the machine being injured by weather influences and dirt.

Having thus described the various parts of my device in relation to each other, the operation is as follows: The device is attached, by means of straps 11 and braces 12, to the front end of a car a sufficient distance ahead of the front platform so as to be in full view of the operator of the car and so that the vertical shaft 23 is located inside of the'dashboard of the car within easy reach of the operator. The distance between my device and the track is so regulated that when the poles l7 and 17 a are in their lowest (vertical) position their movable end pieces 18 and 18 will be just above the rail without touching it. The entire device is located to one side of the car, so as to bring it above the tongues of the switches. When the car is not at a switch and the device is not in operation, the shaft is turned so that the poles are in the position shown in broken lines, Figs. 1 and 4, and the crank 24: is locked by means of one of the springs 4.0. The roller 29 not being in contact with the carbon piece 30 no electricity passes through the coil, which consequently is not energized, and the poles 18 and 18 are elevated'a sufficient distance above the rails to prevent them coming in contact with any obstacle which may be on the track. When the car reaches a switch which the operator desires to reverse, he takes hold of the handle 24 and by turning it toward him disengages it from the spring 40, and at the same time turns the shaft 23in its bearings, which in its turn causes the shaft 6 to rotate in the direction in which the operator wishes to throw the tongue of the switch. The moment roller 29 has reached the point A, Fig. 4, it

comes in contact with the carbon piece 30,

completing the circuit of electricity, thereby energizing the electromagnet. By rotating the shaft 6 further the operator will cause the poles to seep over the tongue of the switch, which on account of the magnetized condition of said poles will be drawn along in the direction in which shaft 6 is being rotated. When roller 29 has reached the point B, the contact between the spring 26 and the carbon piece 30 is broken. The pole-pieces being made of soft iron they will not retain the magnetism, with the result that the moment the contact between the spring 26 and carbon 30 is broken they will lose their influence on the movable piece of the switch. It is at this same time that the hanger acts as a socalle d blow-out magnet, for, being located directly under the point'where the contact between spring 26 and carbon is broken and being in constant contact with shaft 6., the magnetism escaping'through the points 20 will disrupt the electric are which is formed at the point where the contact is broken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is'- 1. In a device of the class described the combination with an electromagnetic coil, adjustably secured to a railway-car, of a shaft passing through the center of said coil, poles fastened to said shaft, and suitable means for rotating said shaft for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an electromagnetic coil, adjustably secured to a railway-car, of ashaft, passing through said coil, and supported in boxes fastened to the car, poles, secured to and pendent from said shaft and movable end pieces, pendent from saidpoles, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with an electromagnetic coil, adj ustably secured to a railway-car, of a shaft, passing through said coil, and supported in boxes on said car, collars placed around andsecured to said shaft and located at either side of said coil, pole-pieces, secured to said collars and having spherically-shaped extremities, and end pieces, located around the spherical extremities of said poles so that they may have a free movement in all directions, substantially as described.

' 4:. In a device of the class described two frames, adj ustably connected to suitable hangers, fastened to a railway-car, an electromagnetic coil, secured to said frame, a shaft passing through said coil' and supported in non-conducting boxes which are secured to the above-mentioned frames, poles, the ends of which are located in close proximity to the track, secured to said shaft and suitable means for rotating said shaft and energizing and denergizing the magnets substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

a shaft, passing throughsaid'coil and sup ported in boxes secured to said car, poles, fastened to and pendent from said shaft, a gear-wheel, secured to an extremity of said shaft and a vertical shaft journaled to said car, said shaft being provided at its lower extremity with a gear-wheel which meshes into the first-mentioned gear-wheel, and, at

3 its other extremity, with an operating handle or crank, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class named, the combination with a railway-car, of an electromagnetic coil adjustably secured to said car, a shaft passing through said coil and supported in boxes on said car, poles, fastened to and pendent from said shaft, a gear-wheel, secured to an extremity of said shaft, a vertical shaft, journaled to said car, said shaft being provided at its lower extremity with a gearwheel, meshing into the first-mentioned gearwheel and at its other extremity, with an operating crank, or lever, and suitable means for arresting the movement of said crank and shaft when the poles of the magnet have reached certain positions substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a railway-car, of an electromagnetic coil, secured to frames, adjustably connected to hangers on said car, a pole-bearing shaft, passing through said coil and supported in boxes on said frames, suitable means for rotating said shaft in said boxes, a crank-arm secured to said shaft and provided with an adjustable spring-arm, connected with one of the wires, leading from the source of electricity and a contact-piece secured to and insulated from one of the before-mentioned frames and electrically connected with the coil and so locatedas to al low the extremity of the spring-arm to engage it when the shaft is being rotated substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a railway-car of an electromagnetic coil secured to frames, adj ustably connected with hangers on said car, a polebearing shaft passing through said coil and supported in boxes on said frames, suitable means for rotating said shaft in said boxes, a crank-arm secured to said shaft and provided with an adjustable spring-arm which is connected with one of the poles of the source of electricity, a contact-piece secured to and insulated from one of the before-mentioned frames and electrically connected with the electromagnetic coiland so located that the extremity of the spring-arm will engage it when the shaft is being rotated and a strap, made of magnetism-conducting material, one extremity of which is in constant contact with the shaft while its other extremity is provided with points, located near the ends of the before-mentioned contact-piece, and acting as a blow-out magnet for the disruption of the electric are which is formed at the point where the contact is broken when the magnet is denergized, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH O. DIMMIOK.

Witnesses:

K. M. STUMP, P. H. MALLINCKRODT. 

